Time War
by A Hopeful Voice
Summary: "Life on Earth is hella boring." - Sent to act as a liaison between Torchwood and S.H.I.E.L.D., Rose Tyler lucks into finding some of the most brilliant minds in the entire universe to help her find her way home.
1. Chapter 1

**This has been an idea of mine for a while, but it only recently started coming together. It's pre-season 4 (DW), runs side by side with AOS season 1, pre-Winter Soldier. I started this before I'd seen TWS (lame, I know), so I don't want things to get confused in my head if I try to work out my plans with that film.**

**If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Avengers: Time War<strong>

_Chapter I_

_ It's funny how the world can change when you least expect it. I never thought I could become someone impossible, someone worthy of so much more than what I could have been destined for. Even now, after the end of the world, when I don't know up from down, I don't where I'm going, but I know that it will be somewhere greater. Better. A world where there are no monsters in metal suits, no green beasts, no men out of time, no false gods, no creatures who think themselves better than the human race. For while we are weak, we are many._

_ We have the ability to stand up for what we want and for what we need. I never thought I could be anyone but a girl from a council estate, much less one of the most incredible people in the universe. And trust me, I've met the others._

_ I owe it all to one man-a man I ran away with, a man I hated, a man I fell in love with. He introduced me to the greatest people I've ever known, and broke my heart while simultaneously giving me the ultimate gift: a chance to become the best person I could possibly be._

_ So while he is now dead and gone, I will forever owe my entire life to him: the Doctor._

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><p>"Life on Earth is hella boring," said Tony Stark, stepping down from the platform atop Stark Tower, impatiently waiting for his computer systems to disassemble his suit.<p>

"Not the way I see it," replied the woman following him, a thin woman with short, red hair. "Not now that every alien race has decided to make a punching bag out of us."

"Oh, come on, Romanov," Stark said as he rolled his eyes, "you literally just proved my point in your own sentence. 'Alien race?' Yeah, don't have many aliens on Earth."

"Technically, any sort of foreigner is an alien."

Stark sighed and turned to the hero in blue. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. And, y'know, that includes you. You belong on another planet, not to mention another time period. Look at us; we're like the freaking dream team of superheroes. I mean, we _are_ the Avengers. Never mind, forget I said anything."

As soon as the present four heroes entered Stark Tower-now referred to as the Avengers Tower-they were surprised to see none other than Director Nick Fury waiting rather impatiently at the counter.

"Nick, my cycloptic friend!" exclaimed Tony, clapping Fury on the back as he passed the man on his way to pour himself a drink. "Long time no see! And I mean that in the _best_ possible way."

Steve was less than amused by Tony's amiability. His back straight, Steve approached Fury. "Director Fury," he began, "do you have a mission for us?"

"Not this time. At least, not like you might think. An organization from Great Britain has been poking around our systems for a few months now, ever since the Battle of New York. IT's grown tired of having to rewrite their firewalls, so we've invited a representative from this organization to act as a liaison between SHIELD and-"

"Torchwood," interrupted Tony.

Fury sighed. "Are you even going to pretend you didn't know that?"

"No. I, too, noticed their little expeditions. I tried to do some digging but couldn't find much. Although now that I've got a definitive reason to look into it, I'll look into it."

Natasha leaned on the counter. "When are we meeting their representative?"

Fury looked at his watch. "In about three minutes."

Stark groaned. "It just so happens that I have a very important meeting with a very important person about very important things in _two_ minutes, so I'm afraid I'll have to miss."

"The jig's up, babe," called Pepper from where she was seated on the sofa, mindlessly scrolling across her tablet. She didn't even look at him. "He asked me to clear your empty schedule."

"Damn. Well, it was worth a shot."

Clint Barton snapped open his bow, gaining Fury's attention. "This is a peaceful meeting," said their boss. "No need for hostility. Though I would appreciate someone going to get in touch with Jane Foster. Maybe she knows something about this Torchwood Institute, since she now lives over there." Barton nodded, leaving the room. "And tell her to tell Thor that the honeymoon phase is over! I expect him back by the end of the week."

"Gotcha," Barton shouted from down the hall.

Tony groaned and dropped his head back. "Why do we have to _do_ this?" he whined. "Why can't I just hack into Torchwood's systems and do it the easy way?"

Fury rolled his eye(s, presumably). "Because she's already on her way here."

"Indeed, sir," said JARVIS.

"Thank you, JARVIS," said Tony. He walked closer to Fury. "She? You never mentioned it was a woman."

"You could at least _pretend_ to realize that I was in the room," Pepper said, still refusing to look up from her tablet.

Just then, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. "Ms. Tyler," said Fury, walking over to the elevator, extending his hand to the woman exiting. She was blonde, well-dressed, and younger than was to be expected.

She took his hand and shook it with a gracious smile. "Director Fury, it is so nice to speak with you in person." Sure enough, she spoke with a proper English accent that reminded Steve of Peggy.

"Let me introduce the crown jewel of SHIELD-what we like to call the Avengers Initiative." Fury gestured to the rest of the group. "Tony Stark, his CEO Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanov. Our other agent, Clint Barton, is off contacting another liaison of ours, Jane Foster."

"Oh, yes," Rose said, "I met Jane last month at a work thing. Pete-my father-took me to a Vitex luncheon, and Jane was the keynote speaker. She's very good."

Tony narrowed his eyes as she spoke, and when she finished, he smacked himself on the forehead and immediately crossed to her, taking one of her hands in his and kissing her knuckles. "Miss Rose Tyler," he said, "I had no idea you were going to be our liaison with Torchwood." He looked at his friends. "Come on, guys, this is Rose Tyler, of Vitex fame."

She flushed, and Steve said, "Vitex, as in the drinks?"

Rose grew even redder and nodded. Before she could say anything, Tony continued, "I am still amazed how you managed to disappear off the face of the earth for the first twenty-one years of your life. Then again, one of our buddies is a Norse god from another planet, so I guess nothing should surprise me anymore."

"Yes, it was quite a lifestyle," Rose agreed with a smile, but it was very clear that she was used to keeping her private life close to the chest. "Well, let's get to business, shall we? I'm feeling rather tired from the flight and would like to retire soon, if that's alright."

"Fine by me," said Natasha. "I just want a long soak in a tub to get the alien guts off of me."

That got Rose's attention. "I'm sorry?"

"We were fighting these brown, toothy aliens all afternoon in Times Square," Steve explained. "Savage guys with no hair. Don't worry; they're all taken care of."

Rose perked up. "Did they come from the sewers?"

The Avengers exchanged looks before nodding and mumbling, "Yeah."

She grinned. "They're Weevils! God, I hate those things. They're basically harmless-I mean, they're killers an' they rip people's throats out with their teeth, but compared to other aliens, they're easy to get rid of. Just like roaches. I'll get Jake to send over some Weevil spray, then you won't have to deal with 'em as much."

There was a brief silence before Natasha said, "Are you, like, an expert on aliens or something?"

Rose bit down on her lip for a minute. "Um, a bit, yeah."

Tony smiled widely. "Can she stay forever? She'll be great on the team. Rose, welcome to the Avengers."

She gave them a smile, but shook her head. "I have my own missions with Torchwood, including one very important personal project, so this is just going to be a quick meeting before I get back on the plane to London tomorrow evening." She paused, then her grin grew. "Besides, I doubt I'd pass SHIELD's background screenings. They wouldn't be able to find enough about me."

Tony brightened. "Challenge accepted!"

Natasha rolled her eyes and widened her stance, clasping her hands behind her back-a neutral, yet controlling position. "What exactly does Torchwood do? How will we be working together?"

Just then, Barton walked back into the room. "Jane wasn't very thrilled at being woken up at a late hour. Torchwood's just a security firm," he said, clearly not having noticed Rose's presence. Steve cleared his throat, drawing Clint's attention to the new blonde in the room. "Agent Clint Barton, SHIELD." He offered his hand to her, and she shook it firmly.

"Agent Rose Tyler, Torchwood," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Why does a private security firm have agents?" asked Steve. "And how do you know about aliens?"

"Let Scully talk," Tony said. Steve's forehead crinkled; Tony, understanding the look of confusion, sighed, "I'll explain it later."

"I assume SHIELD has at least level eight clearance with UNIT?" Rose asked. Fury nodded, and Rose continued, "The Torchwood Institute, founded by Queen Victoria, acts as a sort of intermediary between the citizens of Earth and visitors from other planets. The most popular place for alien activity is Cardiff in Wales, though our headquarters is in London. We scan for alien technology, anticipate any contact, and take preemptive measures to determine if the visitors are a threat. If they are not humanoid, we try to keep them out of public eye, but otherwise let them carry on, so long as they check in with us every few days."

Steve held up his hands. "Wait a minute; there are aliens that look like humans?"

"Come on, Gramps," said Tony, "keep up. You've seen Thor and his asshole of a brother. They look pretty damn human to me."

"I'm sorry?" Rose interjected.

"Our buddies from Asgard. You know, Thor and Loki, the Norse gods?" She shook her head. "What, do you live under a rock or something?"

"Tony," Natasha groaned.

Rose's smile tightened. "Like you said yourself, Mr. Stark, I stayed out of the public eye for quite some time. Things slip by you when you're avoiding the rest of the world."

Tony gave a low whistle. "Damn."

Pepper stood from the couch, holding her tablet to her stomach. "Mr. Stark, if it is alright with you, I think I'm going to go home for the evening." Tony groaned, knowing that this was Pepper's way of telling him that he needed to step away from the situation and return later.

"Yeah, babe," he returned, "I'll be with you in a bit. I'm getting to know my new friend here. Just think, if we took a photo and put it on Instagram, the paparazzi would have a field day. Tony Stark and Rose Tyler-we'd blow up the Internet." Pepper sighed and left the room.

Fury cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I need to have word with Ms. Potts. Ms. Tyler," he acknowledged with a nod before exiting the room, leaving Rose Tyler alone with five of the Avengers.

Tony was the first to break the silence. "I'm serious about this selfie thing."

Rose smiled politely. "Maybe another time, Mr. Stark."

"Please, call me Tony."

Natasha groaned.

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><p>Rose folded the pillow over her ears, refusing to be drawn from her dreams of better times, but that insistent beeping would not stop. She squeezed her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them, surprised that the room was still dark. She had expected it to be daybreak.<p>

Pushing the covers off her, Rose swung her legs to the floor and stood, picking up her dressing gown and wrapping it around her. Looking at the sliver of light peeking through into the room from beneath the door, Rose grabbed her handbag and pulled out her taser. She hated using guns but would never go unarmed.

Her bare feet were silent against the floor as she left the guest room and started heading towards the lounge two floors below. The concrete in the industrial stairwell was cold against her feet, but she remained silent. Once she pushed open the door to the floor she was aiming for, Rose picked up her pace.

She checked around the corner before entering the lounge; the coast was clear. As soon as she walked through, however, she ran smack into someone else. "Fuck!" the person exclaimed. He flipped the light switch by Rose's shoulder, illuminating the room. It was Tony Stark, his arc reactor glowing through his t-shirt. He looked at the taser in her hands. "Not you, too."

"What the hell is going on?" asked Rose.

"That's a good question," said Natasha, walking in from behind Rose with Clint.

Tony shrugged. "JARVIS set off the systems. I was asleep. Good thing the Jolly Green Giant's back in the middle of nowhere again."

"He went to Jersey," said Steve, entering from the way Tony came in.

"Exactly."

A tall figure emerged from the shadows with something in his bulky arms. "Maybe I can shed some light on all of this, if you agree to assist me."

Rose could hear the jaws drop as the room grew unimaginably silent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the delay, and especially for telling some of you that the update would come much sooner than this. I went out of town for Christmas and didn't have time to update while I was there. However, I have this chapter for you to enjoy! Thank you for your support, and happy holidays!**

**Please leave a review, so I know what you like/don't like!**

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><p><em>Chapter II<em>

A large figure stepped out into the light, a smaller, thinner person draped in his arms. Everyone focused on the large, blonde man first, not even noticing the unconscious person.

"Thor!" Natasha and Steve exclaimed simultaneously.

"Where have you been?" asked Tony. "SHIELD had to send in a team to clean up your mess in England, by the way. Way to go on that one, big guy."

"It is a long story," Thor said. "I did not mean for us to startle you. I had to get us here the best I could."

"Us?" repeated Steve. "Is that Miss Foster?"

Thor grimaced. "No. It is my brother. He is in need of help."

Rose watched as each of the faces surrounding her fell. There were a few seconds of silence before the room erupted in protests. "No!"

"Oh, hell no-"

"-not in my tower-"

"-he shouldn't even be on this planet!"

Rolling her eyes, Rose clapped her hands twice. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her. "Sorry," she murmured. "My mum does it with my brother."

"Who is this?" asked Thor.

"Rose Tyler," Tony supplied. "SHIELD's liaison with the Torchwood Institute. Can you please tell us why your insane ass brother is here? Just because Banner's in Jersey doesn't mean I can't get him over here real fast to Hulk smash him into the floor again. Or maybe let Hawkeye get a good look at him."

Barton grunted in recognition.

"My brother was in grave danger," Thor said. "It is a long story. Is there an infirmary we can put him in?" Natasha looked at Tony briefly before jerking her head for Thor to follow with Loki. "Thank you."

As they passed by, Rose got a good look at the unconscious man's face. He was thin, pale, and looked to be sleeping peacefully. But having lived with the Doctor for two years told Rose that things were not always what they seemed, if what Stark and the others had said earlier about Thor and his brother was true.

While Natasha led Thor and Loki to the infirmary, Tony went and poured himself a drink. Steve sat on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at where the coffee table met the floor. Barton paced, fingers twitching like he wanted to be shooting things. Rose stood awkwardly and watched, waiting for the moment when things would start to make sense.

This was supposed to be a normal business trip. Nothing involving aliens or superheroes.

Rose wasn't entirely sure she was upset about it.

Life at Torchwood had been busy and harsh for her. She made frequent trips back to Norway, studied sciences she'd never even heard of before the Doctor, and made an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Jane Foster next week. If anyone would know how to get back to the Doctor, it was the woman who had made a wormhole.

Clint drops his head back and groans, breaking the silence. "I really thought I'd never see him again."

"We all did," said Steve. "Although I can't say I blame you."

"Why?" Rose asked before she could stop herself.

Steve and Clint exchange looks, then Steve says, "Loki is the God of Mischief. He came to Earth from Asgard to try and take over, and possessed Clint in order to get the Tesseract. One of our friends was murdered, but we managed to stop him."

"Can you imagine what Phil would say if he were here?" snorted Stark. "I hate that punk."

"Phil?" asked Rose.

"No," Stark said, "Loki."

Moments later, Natasha returned with Thor at her heels. Clint looked directly at Thor and said, "When I talked to Jane earlier, I assumed you were with her in London."

"In her bed," corrected Stark beneath his breath.

Thor shook his head. "I received an important message from Heimdall earlier today about my father. He had collapsed in the middle of the Midsummer Feast. The Einherjar assumed it was the untimely arrival of the Odinsleep, but as soon as he hit the floor, the illusion was shattered and the King was revealed to be Loki in disguise. Heimdall did not understand how my brother could have hidden from his Sight. He would have left me out of the situation per my own request if not for the blades immediately pointed at my brother's neck.

"And that was not the worst part. Moments after being dragged down to the cell he occupied previously, Loki began to rouse. He began bellowing things that were horrible, even for Loki. When I arrived, he was still shouting, something that is very uncharacteristic of my brother. His eyes were a piercing blue, his skin paler than I had ever seen. My brother was not himself. As soon as I tried to speak to him, Loki collapsed and began to seize.

"I broke into the cell and tried to stop it. When that did not work, I realized he must have been possessed. By whom or what I do not know. I knocked him unconscious just as the alarms began to sound, announcing that Asgard's defenses had been breached. I do not know who was making their way into our realm, but I assume they were after Loki. Sif and the Warriors Three left to lead our armies against the foe, and I escaped to the Observatory with Loki to take him anywhere safe. Heimdall must have sent us here, for we landed atop this tower. I opened the doors and set off the alarm." He paused, looking sheepish. "I am sorry for interrupting your slumber." It was just then that he noticed Rose. "Who is this?"

"'m Rose. Rose Tyler," she said. "I met Jane Foster at a Vitex event recently."

Thor smiled at her, but it turned grim soon after. Tony took the opportunity to butt in. "So what exactly do you want us to do, your highness? Revive your brother, save him from his bad dreams, and allow him to be king of our planet? I don't think so."

"All I ask is for you to help me to find out what is plaguing my brother," Thor said with a sigh and slumped shoulders. It was a humbling look on him. "I realize this must be the best place to have brought him. If anyone can help my brother, it must be the Avengers."

"The question is," began Steve, "should we?"

"I vote no," Clint said quickly. "He killed Coulson."

"I am asking for your help as a friend; not for my brother's sake, but for mine." Thor looked in the eyes of each person in the room before he spoke again. "Loki may be a murderer and a monster, but he is my brother, adopted or no."

Rose could feel the tension in the room like humidity. Wary glances were exchanged all around, prompting Rose to speak up. "If it makes any difference," she said meekly, "I had a friend once who would do anything to help someone, even if they were his greatest enemy. He had to offer them the choice to change for the better."

Tony sighed. "We're gonna regret this in the morning."

Thor brightened. "Do you mean it?"

Nodding, Natasha stood from the sofa and folded her arms across her chest. "Everyone deserves a second chance." Clint avoided her gaze but eventually gave in to look at her. "Even Loki. We'd better bring in the doctor immediately, and contact Fury."

"Uh, we'd better hold off on that," said Tony, raising a hand. "Fury and Loki aren't exactly on the same page. He did kill Coulson. I think we'd better keep this under wraps for a while."

"I agree," said Thor. "And I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"No need to get all mushy there, Romeo," Tony said, clapping Thor on the back. "We all know you're just a soft puppy in a big body." Looking at his watch, he added, "Looks like we need to hit the hay if we're gonna be up in time for our eight o'clock meeting with our lovely Torchwood representative."

Rose yawned, and was immediately on the receiving end of a wink from Tony. They all started to head back to their own rooms, with Rose reaching hers quickly. Her feet shuffled across the soft carpet as she walked to the bed and dropped onto it. The sheets were cold; Rose shivered as she wrapped herself up in the blankets.

If this were the TARDIS, the lovely ship would increase the temperature in the room so that Rose would be comfortable. Pete's World wasn't so nice. Rose had spent months scouring the internet for any sign of Time Lord activity in this world's history, but she didn't really know what she was looking for. The Doctor was never very open about his past, something that Rose regretted not asking about. He would make these off-hand comments that she always meant to go back to but never did. It was too late now.

She was stuck here-for good. If it hadn't been for Bad Wolf Bay, she might have hoped there was some way to get back to him, but she could hardly believe that anymore. All of her friends and family had looked into the research but nothing amounted. Rose was separated from the Doctor forever-not the kind of forever she promised him.

She still had nightmares about that day. Nearly every night Rose dreamed about blank white walls and ghosts on beaches. Just thinking about the ghost shift room made her feel sick. While that room in the parallel Torchwood was simply used for storage, Rose avoided any reason to go anywhere near that floor.

There were no blank walls in her flat back in London; she couldn't bear it. She had no mementos of her times with the Doctor save what she had on her person, so she did the best with what she could. There was a large Union Flag hanging on one wall (right-side up, of course), a Britney Spears poster on another (she still couldn't believe "Toxic" qualified as a classic Earth ballad but whatever). One wall in her living room was completely made up of floor to ceiling bookshelves. Most were empty, but she had started buying any Charles Dickens novel she could find, even if she already had a copy. Rose had taken to scribbling little messages to herself on any blank surface that struck her fancy: _bad wolf_-a message to remind her of her goal.

With her eyes closed and her fingers curled up with the blankets under her chin, Rose could feel herself writing out the two words on Stark Tower itself. Only a phantom motion, of course, but telling nonetheless.

She missed the Doctor more than anything.

With thoughts of the TARDIS dematerializing and wolves howling, Rose drifted off to sleep once more.

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><p>"Torchwood is proposing a sort of alliance," Rose said, using her 'big girl' voice, as her mum called it. Sounding posh got a lot more done in this world than sounding like her chavvy self. "We will help with your alien visitors, provide any clean up assistance you may require, and will act as backup when on international soil. All we ask is for complete jurisdiction in Great Britain." At the raised eyebrows she got in response, Rose raised her hands and added, "I didn't create the terms, I'm just the messenger."<p>

In fact, Rose thought Torchwood to be a bit shady, and probably would outright oppose it if not for her not-father, Pete. While she didn't trust SHIELD, at Torchwood Rose at least had trustworthy team members: Mickey, Jake, and her 'dad.'

"Why are you speaking to us instead of Fury?" asked Steve.

"Director Fury asked me to speak with you. As his lead operatives, he wanted your opinion."

Tony turned to Natasha and muttered, "And to keep me out of their computer systems." She rolled her eyes.

"I understand that since recent...um, _problems_ have arisen," she continued, looking at Thor briefly, "you may be hesitant to begin a new alliance, I can assure you that I am the best resource you could possibly have regarding extraterrestrial beings."

"Why?" asked Clint.

Rose nodded to acknowledge his question. Folding her hands in front of her, she answered, "I had a friend who was _the_ expert on alien life and he managed to pass on a great deal of his knowledge to me before he-was lost. If you fear attacks from outer space, I promise you that no one can help you more than Torchwood. We specialize in anything alien."

A cruel voice in the back of her mind reminded her, _"if it's alien, it's ours."_

Rose shook it off and waited for any sort of response. The meeting had been going for nearly an hour already and except for a few questions here and there, most of it had been Rose selling Torchwood's best attributes. Her mind kept drifting back to the arguments from the night before, about what to do with Loki. Were Torchwood involved, both Loki and Thor would be under constant supervision and study, but this was SHIELD and Rose had no idea how they handled things. Based on comments made, she suspected the two organizations had similar ideology if different means.

Maybe, if Rose managed to persuade SHIELD to work alongside Torchwood, Jane Foster could be convinced to help Rose find out how to get back to the Doctor.

Having realized she'd let her mind wander and the group members were now murmuring amongst themselves, Rose pulled in her focus and tried to gauge the thoughts in the room. She didn't have to wait long. After only a few moments of debate, Rose was pleased when Steve-the spokesperson of the group, it seemed-spoke up.

"We are willing to work with Torchwood, and since SHIELD is basing their opinion on ours, I think you have their support as well." Rose hadn't realized she was dealing with two different operations, and Steve sensed that. "We're members of the Avengers Initiative, and not strictly speaking a part of SHIELD."

Tony clapped his hands together. "And now we can get into the real business here: what to do about Prince Crazy."

"I would appreciate more respect towards my brother," said Thor, "as he is still a prince, no matter how fallen he may be."

"Look," said Natasha, "we get that Loki's your brother, but he did practically destroy this city. Sorry if we're a little hesitant to welcome him to the team." Thor nodded his acknowledgement, but Rose noticed his posture tense and his frown grow a little deeper.

Feeling awkward standing, Rose pulled out the chair in front of her and sat down. "I would be more than happy to offer any assistance I can while I'm here," she said, "even though I am supposed to be traveling back to London tonight."

"Banner's gonna be back in a little while," said Tony. "I'd like to have him put your information into my personal systems for greater access."

"Couldn't you do that yourself?" asked Clint.

"Yeah, but...y'know, effort," Tony said. "Banner'll do it and then I don't have to lift a finger. Perks of having science bros."

Thor brightened. "That is a familiar term to me. Darcy Lewis refers to me as her 'bro.' Congratulations on achieving such a relationship with the Angry One."

Tony rolled his eyes. "How is your brother doing anyway?"

"He is as well as can be under the circumstances. When I last checked on him, he was still unconscious. I fear he is only here physically."

"What the hell does that mean?" Clint rested his elbows on the table.

"In Asgard and the other Realms," answered Thor, "magic is a normal occurrence, though not commonplace. My brother was particularly skilled in creating duplicates of himself to avoid lessons or training. He was talented at expanding his own mind into separate consciousnesses of his own making, and I am afraid his real body is here but his mind is elsewhere. Combined with his unusual behavior and strangely colored eyes, I can only assume that my brother is not himself."

"'Not himself?' Do you mean possessed?" asked Steve.

Rose closed her eyes in thought before speaking. "There are loads of possible causes for a mental attack. Do you know of any telepathic people on Asgard? Or any chance your brother could have gotten an illness somewhere else?"

"How are you totally accepting of the whole concept of Asgard?" asked Tony. "It took me forever to come to grips with that."

Rose shrugged. "Like I said, I'm an alien expert. Nothing surprises me anymore."

"Have you, like, been to Mars or something?"

"_Tony_-"

"What?" he exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. "It's a perfectly valid question!"

Before anyone else could say anything, Rose interjected, "No, I haven't been to Mars. In fact," she added bitterly, "I've never been off this planet. But the concept of other worlds is not new to me. It makes more sense to think of Thor and his brother as aliens from another planet than gods. I'll have to look through Torchwood's databases for known telepathic species or diseases that could have possibly affected your brother. As soon as I find anything, I'll let you know."

Thor nodded, and despite having made arrangements to work with SHIELD, Rose felt, for the first time yet, the pressure of signing on to a new project. Hopefully it was one she could solve quickly and return to finding the Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay; school started back up and I've had opera rehearsals every night. Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! Please let me know what you think, and enjoy!**

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><p><em>Chapter III<em>

With a shiver, Rose opened her eyes to the dimmed lights of the cabin. Fidgeting in her seat before adjusting her lap belt, she glanced down at her watch: half past four GMT. Rose groaned and adjusted her neck pillow, closing her eyes once more. She shivered again and crossed her arms tightly. Why did planes always have to be so bloody freezing?

Her (step- or adopted-) father was the head of a massive institution and she couldn't even use his private plane; at least her tickets were first class. Her mother always refused to fly first class, said it gave her "airs and graces" that she didn't deserve. Rose understood how her mum felt, but still thought it good to take advantage of their current situation. Then again, maybe that was Jackie Tyler's point.

Rose sank further down in her seat. She couldn't get the image of the SHIELD agents out of her mind, how they all turned on Thor and his brother only to change their minds. What would the Doctor tell them? That's what Rose found herself thinking every time she met a new alien individual or family or whatever-what would the Doctor do?

He would insist on helping Thor and his brother, that's what. The Doctor had destroyed his own planet and people; if there was anyone he could relate to, it was the black sheep of a family. There was no Doctor in this universe, so Rose would do the best she could.

Resigned that she wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon, Rose reached down and pulled out her laptop; thank God for onboard wifi. Just because she hadn't been in this universe at the time didn't mean the internet wouldn't be crawling with videos of the Battle of New York. In order to help SHIELD best, she would have to know what exactly she was going up against and who she was helping.

Rose did think it was ironic that this universe had the Battle of New York instead of the Battle of Canary Wharf. _Figures_.

Plugging in her headphones, Rose was reminded of the first time she ever did an internet search for the Doctor to find out who the hell he was. That seemed like such a long time ago now. Fortunately for her, it didn't take nearly as long to find out what exactly happened.

She didn't realize that the group she had met were _really_ called the Avengers-she'd thought it was just a nickname that Tony Stark made up while drunk. But here it was: an article on how the Avengers saved New York City from an alien race called the Chitauri and a monster named Loki. Maybe it said something about Rose that her stomach didn't nearly turn as much as it should have when she read the death tolls, particularly those by Loki's own hand. No matter what monsters the world faced, nothing seemed to rival the Daleks.

Without realizing what she was doing, Rose found herself typing out two words: _bad wolf_.

She caught herself and backspaced, refocusing on the article. The name 'Chitauri' meant nothing to her. She'd never met the species in her home universe, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Opening another tab, Rose decided to look up the other species in the Torchwood databases.

Rose logged into the secure system, then started her research. The name itself yielded no results, but she knew better than to give up after that. She studied the images of the Chitauri from Google and started searching the database based on the physical features. Other than some vague descriptions of other races, Rose found nothing.

She dropped her head back against the headrest. If only the Doctor were here to help her now. Not for the first time, Rose thought of all the things the Doctor could do to help if only he were in this universe. For one, she wouldn't be stuck working at Torchwood. She would be off in the TARDIS, traveling the universe with him. And even if they were forced to stay on Earth, they would travel the planet, helping people from Bogota to Timbuktu. Hell, the two of them could even help out SHIELD in New York City with whatever was wrong with-

Inspiration hit. Rose realized that she had been thinking all the right things, just not in the right way. Yes, maybe Stark and Banner could help her find a way back to the Doctor, and maybe the Doctor could help Loki, but Stark and Banner could help her find her way back to the Doctor sothat the Doctor _could help Loki._ It was exactly what they all needed.

Unbuckling her lap restraint, Rose stood and made her way to the front of the cabin and got the attention of one of the flight attendants. "Excuse me," she whispered, "can you tell me how long until we land?"

The older woman looked at her watch. "Our scheduled arrival time is in five and a half hours. Is everything alright?"

It took everything Rose had to not roll her eyes. "This is a level nine United Nations Intelligence Taskforce situation; I am not permitted to disclose details," she said, flashing her Torchwood badge briefly. "I need the captain to please inform me of our altitude so that I may make a phone call."

The stewardess glanced at her partner, making a face she probably didn't think Rose could see. She pulled the phone that had a direct line to the cockpit off the wall and held it up to her ear. Turning back to Rose with a false smile plastered on her face, she asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you, ma'am?"

Rose raised her eyebrows, saying, "I wouldn't mind if he turned the plane around and took us back to New York, thanks. I'll be in my seat."

A few minutes later, the flight attendant walked to Rose's seat and informed her of the current altitude before walking back to the galley up front. With a triumphant grin, Rose unlocked her mobile and fiddled with the controls, making sure the Torchwood signal was working. While the little Archangel logo spun in circles, Rose thought of what to say to Tony. As the most prolific member of their team, he would have to build the machine to take her home, and he would probably do whatever she wanted as long as she flirted with him. Rose felt bad for Pepper, if Tony was like that all the time.

The signal bar grew, indicating that the phone had successfully connected to the network. Rose held the phone up to her ear, waiting for someone to pick up despite the late hour.

_"Stark Industries, Iron Man speaking,"_ Tony's surprisingly not-groggy voice came through the line.

"Mr Stark," Rose began, "this is Rose Tyler, from Torchwood."

_"Oh, yeah,"_ he said; she could hear a fake yawn. _"What can I do for you, princess?"_

"I think I've figured out a way to help Thor and Loki, but I need your help. If I sent you some research, could you take a look at it and see what you think?"

_"Sure thing. Just don't call me in the middle of the night ever again. That's when I work the best."_

Rose smiled.

* * *

><p>To: Jane Foster, PhD<br>From: Rose Tyler  
>Re: Research Proposal<br>08:41 - 12 March 2014

Good morning Dr Foster,

We met briefly at a Vitex function recently. I have started a partnership with SHIELD, and I am enquiring as to whether you would be interested in helping me help them with some research, particularly as it applies to the brother of your friend. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you,

Rose Tyler  
>Torchwood Institute<p>

* * *

><p>To: Rose Tyler<br>From: Jane Foster, PhD  
>Re: re: Research Proposal<br>13:03 - 12 March 2014

Ms. Tyler,

I do remember meeting you. Please give your parents my greetings. I was not aware that you know my boyfriend. Forgive me for being so cryptic in emails. I may work for SHIELD but that doesn't mean I have to trust them.

I would be happy to take a look at your research. In fact, I have some personal information for you that you and your coworkers might find interesting.

Is there anywhere in particular you would like to meet? I do not have a very demanding schedule, so I am available at most times.

Jane Foster, PhD  
>Culver University, Department of Physics<p>

* * *

><p>To: Jane Foster, PhD<br>From: Rose Tyler  
>Re: re: re: Research Proposal<br>13:28 - 12 March 2014

Why don't we meet at the chippy by the Eye? It's crowded enough that we shouldn't be overheard. Say half past six?

Rose Tyler  
>Torchwood Institute<p>

* * *

><p>To: Rose Tyler<br>From: Jane Foster, PhD  
>Re: re: re: re: Research Proposal<br>13:34 - 12 March 2014

Sounds great.

Jane Foster, PhD  
>Culver University, Department of Physics<p>

* * *

><p>Rose drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for Jane Foster to show up. Her basket of fish and chips sat before her, tempting her. It had been a long day in the office after a very long flight. There had been some Rift activity in Cardiff, but the branch out there was able to handle it with some help from Jake and Mickey. Rose had spent the majority of the day compiling evidence of her life in the other universe to prove that she wasn't a nutter when she (eventually) told everyone the truth. Well, compiling evidence and avoiding her mother.<p>

Rose's phone buzzed. Glancing down at the fingerprint-smudged screen, she muttered, "Speak of the devil," and shivered. With a sigh, Rose picked up the phone and answered. "Mum, I can't talk now. I've got a work meeting. I'll call you later, yeah?"

_"Rose-"_

"I'll call you later, Mum. Love you," she added and hung up. Just then, she looked up and saw the petite physicist walk into the chippy. "Dr Foster!" Rose called out, getting the other woman's attention. As the brunette approached the table, Rose pulled a file of papers out of her bag. Once she had seated herself, Rose extended her hand. "It's nice to see you again."

"And you, Ms. Tyler," she said, shaking it.

"Rose."

"Then you must call me Jane," she said. "I am not aware of what the Torchwood Institute does, but once you emailed me, I may have asked my intern to look into the SHIELD database to find out more about your employer."

"If I hadn't already met your boyfriend's friends, I would have done the same," Rose said, putting her hands down on the manila file. She took a big breath. "I assume that you are aware of the existence of other dimensions."

"Of course," Jane said, "I worked on atmospheric disturbances that led up to an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Although I never would have gotten this far if not for Thor."

"Tell me, Jane, have you ever been to another world?" asked Rose.

Jane nodded. "I went to Asgard for a short time last year."

Rose smiled and said, "That makes my job a hell of a lot easier. If I told you that I'm from another universe, would you believe me?"

Although her eyes narrowed, Jane nodded. "I'm not saying I don't think you're crazy, but I do believe you. I wouldn't have if not because of Thor, but I do. So where are you from if not here?"

"A parallel universe," Rose said. "The reason there are no records on me having ever existed before a year ago is because I wasn't in this universe. There's this sort of space between worlds called the Void and while trying to save the old universe, I fell through a crack and into this one. My mum an' friend are here, too, but...it was an accident. The walls of the universe have sealed themselves off and there's no way to get back. At least, that's what I was told. I think it would be possible to find a way back. There's a man in the other universe who can help Thor and Loki. He's the only one who can help them."

Jane nodded slowly. "So why do you need my help? It sounds like you already have a plan and the capabilities to do it with Torchwood."

Rose laughed. "Bit of an idiot, me. Never even got my A-Levels. I'm no doctor. No, you're the only person mad enough to help me, and that's because you know it can be done. Maybe not yet, but you'll find a way." Gesturing to the folder between them, Rose said, "I've put together all the info I've got on the differences between worlds and where potential weak spots in the walls might be. Will you help me?"

Jane looked at Rose carefully. "Yes," she said. "But if you'll help me with my own research."

"I don't see how there's anythin' I can do to help, but I'll do what I can," Rose said.

"I think an unusual number of stars are dying at an unpredictable rate," Jane says. "It sounds crazy, but there's no explanation for relatively young stars to just disappear. There's no evidence of supernova or growth into a larger star body. It doesn't make sense. Torchwood studies extraterrestrial life, right?"

Rose nodded. "If it's alien, it's ours."

Jane dug around in her bag and pulled out a thick stack of folded papers. "Just take a look at these, maybe show them around and see what you think of them. Technically, I'm probably not allowed to take them from SHIELD, but since you're the liaison now..."

"I'll look," Rose promised, sliding the file of her own work towards Jane. "Would you like to meet up again in a few days?"

"Yeah," Jane said. "How does the day after tomorrow at noon sound?"

"Perfect." Rose stood, taking her newspaper-wrapped fish and chips with her as she walked toward the door. Once outside, she passed through the thick crowds of tourists and headed towards Jubilee Gardens. She approached a bench and sat, brushing away the hair that had blown in her face with a strong gust of wind.

Setting the food down beside her, Rose unfolded the documents Jane had given her. There were several photographs of the night sky with certain things circled. Each photograph was dated in the bottom left hand corner. Not entirely sure what she was looking at, Rose kept flipping through the photos, until she saw a blank space circled in silver marker. She went back one photo. There was a circle in the exact same spot, but there was a star in that picture. Looking between the two, Rose didn't understand how they could be different. Stars moved, she'd learned that much from the Doctor. Hell, she even understood that stars burned away over millions of years. _(Bloody supernova.)_

But when Rose looked at the timestamp on each photo, she saw that they were taken on the same night, fifteen minutes apart. Stars couldn't just disappear like that, right? Jane would have known if it were just a cloud covering it or something. There had to be a logical explanation.

As Rose flipped through the photographs and documents, she began to recognize a pattern. There were always two sets of photos: one with an empty circle and one with a star; there had to be a dozen pairs. The timestamps were irregular but clearly Jane had found some correlation.

The more she studied the papers, Rose felt her stomach sinking.

It seemed impossible, but the stars were going out.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is short, but I didn't want to drag it on. Think of it as an interlude that we may see more of. Thank you for all of the follows and favorites, and please review-I am but a poor university student who thrives off of feedback. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter IV<em>

He dreamed.

It was dark and it was quiet and it was cold.

Sometimes, if he really focused, he could hear a faint pulse of some mechanical sound. He would feel the icy fluid run through his veins; how could a frost giant feel cold unless through some mechanisms of torture? There were times when he was closer to the surface and he thought he could hear voices.

_"We have to keep him under sedation."_

_ "-it isn't safe-"_

_ "-it's for his own good-"_

And then they would fade away and he would be just as lost as before.

Even the stars above would come and go as they pleased, leaving him alone in the darkness. His head was _killing him_, much worse than the failed attempt at ruling Midgard.

He had never felt so alone.

Until he wasn't.

The voice started as a whisper, a soft sound in the back of his mind that fought against the rushing winds and empty vacuums of nowhere. This was some sort of torture (it had to be; why would _that monster_ send anyone else into his mind if not to torture him somehow?) to break him.

It was a small voice, light and pleading. "I don't know where I am." Repeated, "_I don't know where I am._ Please, tell me where I am, I don't know where I am! Doctor!"

She broke down crying, and for the first time, he could see her. She was small and on the ground on her hands and knees, struggling to rise. Her fingers clawed into the dusty rock, trying to raise herself up. She managed to climb to her feet.

For the first time, he felt like helping rather than hindering. "Wait-" he choked out, the first words he had said in what felt like a lifetime.

The girl gasped and stumbled as she turned around. "Doctor!" she screamed. Her eyes landed on him, and she murmured, "Where am I? I don't know where I am."

He shook his head, unable to get any words out, and watched as a solitary tear slipped down her cheek and off her jaw. He could almost imagine it hit the ground and displace the dust in a cloud of smoke. The rocky surroundings glowed orange like a reflection of firelight, circling them in smoke.

"Help me, please," she said, taking an ungraceful step towards him. "I don't know where I am." She reached a hand out towards him but he backed away with every faltering step she took. "Please..."

He couldn't bear to take her hand, to touch her. How could anyone want to touch him, the monster?

He fought to get any sound out of his mouth; the words were caught in his throat. "I-I-how-" He found himself backed up against a wall of stone that he wasn't sure had been there before.

"Please," she sobbed, reaching towards him and growing ever closer. "I don't know where I am. I have to find the Doctor, I need to find-please." With each step she took, he felt his legs giving out on him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest.

The girl kept stumbling towards him. She sank down to the ground when she could hold herself up no longer and crawled to him. Her chest was heaving with exhaustion and she was fighting to keep her eyes open by the time she reached him. She couldn't even hold herself upright and collapsed, resting her forehead on his thigh.

If he kept trying, maybe the words would come. "Who-who-" he started, but couldn't speak, the dust catching in his throat.

"C-Clara," she stammered, and her shoulders shook with her sobs. "I don't know where I am. Please, tell me where I am."

Before he even realized it, he spoke. "I don't know where you are."

She looked up at him. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice steady. "How did you get here? How did _I_ get here?"

Her eyes were on him, and he felt compelled to answer for a reason he didn't understand. "I, um-Loki."

"Loki," she repeated. He hadn't heard his name in so long, it sounded like a gift, a reminder of who he was-who he used to be. She exhaled and a brief smile flittered onto her face. "For a minute there I thought you were gonna say the Doctor, but I don't know this face. How did you get here?"

"This," Loki said, feeling more like himself, "is my penance."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He looked at her: Clara, he reminded himself, then looked away. "I am a monster. This is my punishment."

When he met her eyes again, he saw curiosity, wariness, and-worst of all-pity. "No one deserves this."

Loki stood and took a few steps away, his hands clasped behind his back. The stance made him feel like Loki Odinson once more, though that was not who he was. It felt good to pretend, at least. "You don't know me." He looked back at her. "How did you get here?"

A darkness settled in her eyes. "I think I died." Clara looked down at the ground and rose, her eyes still on her feet. She shifted her gaze upwards and said, "I don't know where I am."

"Yes," Loki said, "you mentioned that."

"Where am I?" Clara asked, running her fingers into her hair, clawing at her scalp. Her eyes filled with tears again, and she muttered, "I don't know where I am! Doctor!" She screamed and her voice echoed off the stone walls and reverberated into Loki's very bones. "Doctor!"

The smoke grew thicker and as she screamed, her voice grew further and further away though Loki was quite sure neither of them was moving. When her screams finally died out, she was gone.

This was torture, he reminded himself.

_"He's going into shock-"_

_ "-where the hell is Banner when you need him?"_

_ "Dammit, Rogers, sedate him!"_

This was torture and he deserved it. Ice coursed through his veins, beneath his skin, into his very being and it was so different than the torture before Midgard.

It was dark and it was quiet and it was cold.

He dreamed.


End file.
